These were words I heard when I was very young from my father and they've become a part of my ethic and basic principle for life.
It's so easy to walk by someone or something that is in obvious need, when all it would take is a few seconds to correct or alleviate or just improve the situation slightly.
The first time I heard these words were at home as a young boy. My mother was ill and my father was working long hours at three jobs to make ends meet. When he would come home tired and weary the house was in disarray and he had to spend time picking up after three young children. I was the oldest and the only boy. I don't remember what was on the floor or what I was doing but I do remember his words and the obvious simplicity of how I could help make life easier for all of us.
As my mother's illness progressed and she became less capable of managing the house, I picked up my father's words as a mantra for my younger sisters... don't walk past it, pick it up... put one toy away on your way to your room... drop your dish in the sink as you leave the table.
It seems so simple but too often in life (and I'm guilty of this myself) I see people walk down a hall and step over a paper or dropped glove rather than pick it up. It's almost as if they fear that the act of stopping might lead to some involvement; or perhaps they really are oblivious, focused on some thought or idea and unaware that they've passed up an opportunity to improve, ever so slightly, the world in which we live.
This works both ways of course. Suppose everyone went to the scenic overlook and took away a piece of rock or a beautiful flower. This has happened so many times that some areas, like the parks in Hawaii, have laws and signs warning about taking souvenirs. Now suppose everyone went to the park and picked up, rather than stepped over, one weed.
Or where you shop; don't step over a fallen piece of clothing, pick it up and set it on the shelf. No ones going to pay you for it and no manager will come running to thank you.
There are a lot of weeds to step over in the course of a work day. Some are big but a lot of them are just small nuisances that could be resolved in minutes. What if you didn't step over or work around but actually picked up and cleaned up or organized one thing that wasn't assigned to you? Don't do it because you'll get a reward or get noticed, because you probably won't, but just do it because it's the right thing to do and take satisfaction in the fact that you've improved things a little for yourself and for someone else.
Who knows... maybe someone else will see you and do the same; and maybe it'll catch on and you'll avoid a meeting to organize a team to clean up the mess that everyone has been stepping over. Or maybe your favorite store will stay in business a little longer or be able to reduce costs.
Apply the same principle to the agressive driver or the one who passes the line of traffic to make a right turn from the left hand lane. Suppose everyone in line waiting to make the right hand turn didn't ignore it and picked up their phone for a quick 911 call with the license number. Do you think maybe a dozen calls about the same driver would get some action? How about the guy that races down your street every Saturday night or the one parked at the corner selling drugs?
Most neighborhoods are terrorized by just one resident, you know the one I mean; the one who refuses to think of anything or anyone except themself.
My father's principle works there too. The first time I realized that was after being one of several 6th graders singled out and beaten up by the same bully. Each of us had the experience of looking over our shoulder fearing the appearance of 'Gary' on the walk home. Each of us stepped around the problem, and ignoring the latest victim (thankful it wasn't us this time). Then one day five of us got together and let him know we'd had enough. Simply put: Go after one of us and you dealt with all of us; and further if went after another innocent kid who's smaller and weaker than you, you'd deal with all of us. The reign of terror ended without a single blow.
How many neighborhoods need to be trashed? How many more deaths will it take before people stop ignoring and take a few seconds for a simple action towards fixing what they know is wrong or broken or hurtful instead of turning away intent on their own little world and thankful it wasn't them... this time.
